Car Comparo: The hot hatch arena, Suzuki Celerio vs Mitsubishi Mirage

Subcompact hatchbacks have been popular to car buyers for their practicality and maneuverability in the city streets. Two of the front-runners of this segment are the all-new Suzuki Celerio and the facelifted Mitsubishi Mirage. However, which is the better choice?

To keep the comparison on almost the same ground, we compared the Mirage GLX CVT versus the top variant of the Celerio, which is also in CVT. 

Price

The Celerio’s P542,000 SRP takes this round easily with a P61,000 price advantage over the P603,000 price tag of the Mirage. That amount is huge considering the things you could do with it, such as buying a new gadget or an out-of-the country trip. However, let’s see if that huge price gap is justified by the things inside the Mirage hatchback.

Performance

Both cars have a 3-cylinder 12-valve gasoline power plant that are mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT). However, the Mirage has a bigger engine displacement, thus, it can produce more power with 78 hp and 100 Nm of torque. This is 11 hp and 10 Nm higher than that of the Celerio, which can translate to a better output on demand. Due to this difference, this round definitely goes to the Mirage.

Dimensions

Although the Celerio is taller by 40 mm, the Mirage is 195 mm longer, 65 mm wider, and has a 25 mm wheelbase. This means that the passengers have more wiggle room inside the car for a comfortable ride. This gives it a definite advantage as one of the considerable traits of subcompact hatchbacks is their size. With that said, the Mirage is the runaway winner at this point.

Interior

The Mirage takes this one away from the Celerio. While both cars have basic amenities inside such as manual air conditioning, fabric seats, and power windows, the diamond brand hatch has something that the other lacks – a 7-inch touchscreen head unit that can play DVDs. This is a major advantage as this can not only bring entertainment to you and your occupants, it can also add value to your car in case you thought of reselling it.

Safety

When it comes to safety, both hatches are commendable for their features considering their price. Present in both cars are dual front airbags, anti-lock braking system (ABS), and sturdy body construction that promises protection in case of collisions. Nonetheless, the Celerio takes this one from the Mirage with its immobilizer. This anti-theft feature will not allow anyone to operate the vehicle without its original keys.

Verdict

After all the head-to-head comparison of the specs of both hatchbacks, the Mitsubishi Mirage GLX CVT bags this home with an advantage in engine power, interior amenities, and size. The huge price difference is definitely made up for. However, if a 1.0L engine is enough for you, opting for the Suzuki Celerio CVT isn’t really a bad choice as you could use the extra amount to upgrade the car to leather seats and a better head unit.

For the complete comparison details of the models above, check out the AutoDeal Car Comparison Tool.